12 April 2011

Life After Isha Yoga

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button has been added in this Blog. Please click on the individual blog posts
by name for the button to be visible.If you just need the "Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya" as taught in Inner Engineering Programs, then click Here For Shakti Chalana Kriya Click HereIf you need the "Guru Pooja Audio" click here & for the full text of Guru Pooja click hereIf you need the complete true story of False Sadhguru and Isha Foundation then click here or here !E-Mail

Readers may
kindly, keep in mind, that, I already had much scriptural back ground having read
all the devotional scriptures of ISKCON since at an early age[18 yrs] like Bhagavad Gita,
Srimad Bhagavatam and attended this with just a pure curiosity as to what it
involves since Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev [SJV] with his Logical oratory,
discourses on World Space Satellite Radio was making too much hype and
emphasizing too much on the word "experience". I am not the kind of a person who
does something by anybody’s coaxing and I did not venture for Isha and Sadhguru
because of any physical or mental problem.

The
Introduction involved a simple talk by the teacher who asked us “Do you know
where you came” meaning how our landing on this planet happened and why we were
doing all those things that we are doing in our life. Some answered for money,
some for pleasure, and some for time pass. I kept quite as it was nothing for
me having read the “Bhagavad-Gita “As It Is” so many times.

Then she said
that in the seven days we are going to play a simple game. If we win it is
good, but if we lose then also it is ok. All agreed and then she talked about
how in the present age despite all material comforts one’s quality of inner
life was going down and we all needed much inner peace to over come difficult
situations. It seemed clear that she was speaking way ahead of her age playing
theatre having had rehearsed everything. When I asked her in the end, if it was
worth the effort for seven days even for those who had read the scriptures and
had intellectually realized that one is not this body, mind, intellect she
again repeated her Master Sadhguru’s word, "experience". On the Introductory day itself I
could tell she was a zombie and a mesmerized disciple of Sadhguru.

Much later I
learnt that she was a software engineer in Infosys technologies and had gotten
trapped into the Isha Cult by Sadhguru and had become a Monk at a very young
age may be less then 25 years. Any how I paid the donation of Rs 1,500/- and
decided to do the program keeping an open mind and also keeping all the three
eyes open. I opted for the evening 6-9 PM Batch !

On the 1st day
we were taught one Sanskrit Invocation of addressing the guru before the actual
“Shambhavi Mahamudra” kriya started and another Invocation before ending the
Kriya. Then Sadhguru gave a video lecture on how the human body is designed for
vegetarian food and that food in yoga is classified as +ve pranic, -ve pranic,
and zero pranic. All fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, nuts come in the 1st category.

Some of the
highly pranic food stuff are Ash Gourd[White Pumpkin] and honey which has
properties very close to that of human blood. I have been a strict vegetarian
since my birth so this was again nothing new. Also 3 special periods called
Sandhya Kala in a Day were told to us when our breathing would be in a uniform
way if we observed it. This was 20 minutes before sunrise and 20 mts after sunrise,
from 11:40 am to 12:20 pm and 11:40 pm to 12:20 am. If any Yogic Kriya was done
during these Sandhya Kala's the benefit would multiply by a 100 times than
other times. Night time was meant only for ascetics and not for normal people
was a warning given by Sadhguru. So if one wanted to become a Monk, The Night
time was the most suited. I did, all my Kriyas, at Night Time but still I am
very much at my home even after 4 years but I am Single.

On the second & third day, participants were told to develop awareness, to external situations, like taking unlimited responsibility, for earth-quake, floods, in far off areas, leaking water taps, public lights not working at night, stopping at red light, even at midnight when there is no police man and told to write a home work about this for the next day. The point was, that certain good men/women, without any reward motive took the work upon themselves to construct dams, bridges which benefited the whole humanity, so whatever was possible, with in one's reach, one should do so. Then we were
taught the Buddhist concepts of the doctrine of momentariness. That, this
present moment is inevitable and as to how one can be in this moment within
themselves is entirely in one’s hands. People always live via their past and
the past is routed in one’s memory and this is the source of one’s misery, this
was taught to us.

Also we were
given the Isha Foundation’s Monthly Newsletter, Forest Flower Magazine and
asked to subscribe for the same for Rs 100/- per year. I did not! Then the
teacher demonstrated as to what a Rudraksha Mala was and what the benefits of
wearing a Rudraksha Mala were and how to test a genuine Rudraksha mala from a
fake one. If a genuine Rudraksha mala was placed on a cut lemon it would rotate
in a clock wise direction, if it was placed over cut garlic it would rotate in
an anti-clock wise direction and if placed over a tomato it would be
stationery. Along with this a story was told that in olden times when there was
a fight between the Vaishnavas [Followers of Lord Krishna] and Shaivas [Followers
of Lord Shiva] the Vaishnavas in order to reach Vaikuntha Planet 1st , mixed negative
pranic food and gave it to the Shaivas and so the Shaivas tested their food
with the Rudraksha Mala so a seeker on the path of yoga must always have a
rudraksha mala on his/her neck as this will create a cocoon of one’s energies
and prevent evil forces from taking over one’s body.On the 5th day
as we were going to be initiated into the Shambhavi Mahamudra by the Master
Himself, some early morning surprise had been planned for us. This was a games
program in the park with football in order to bring out the child in us and us
becoming joyful and playful. But later, I realized that it was only for us, not
to become resistive towards the actual initiation process. After this we
assembled at the same venue and were given breakfast of banana’s and Raagi Malt
type beverage to drink by the volunteers. In the entire program the dedication [brain-wash] of the volunteers was amazing. Then we were asked to come on the stage and
share our experiences of the morning games etc. Before the actual initiation
was to happen we were taught the chanting of A-U-M Mantra.

Then we were
asked, as to whether, we were our bodies or something more than the body to
which I replied that since in human anatomy the heart is the seat of all
activities the source of life must be in the heart. We always say my hand, my
leg, my brain, so that me is something higher than the body. All these I quoted
from the Bhagavad-Gita. So again nothing new learnt here.

Then we were told to maintain silence for about 15 minutes, and some fruits and sweets
which we had brought with white cloth as Token offering for the Guru before he
initiated us was placed and a Guru Pooja was conducted in order to invoke the
blessings of the Guru before actual initiation. After this in order for us to
become the Buddha, A question was asked by the teacher to all of us; "As
to what would it take for all of us to accept her as God". Some replied
that if she could create miracles, some said if after the program their bank
balance increased, I said If she could show me the Universal Form that Lord
Krishna had showed to Arjuna in the Battle Field of Kurukshetra I would accept
her and some said that in no way they would accept her as God which was a
hopeless case. Like this it went on!

The point the
teacher was making was that when ever something like an accident, or calamity
happened it was always the unknown persons who came and helped us and not some
hands that descended from the sky and that we should all be realists like the
Buddha was who destroyed all the concepts of Soul, Atman, God, Creator and
emphasized that whatever is there is me and that is also the ultimate truth
everywhere and that in which ever position of life we are placed we must do
what we can to alleviate the suffering of our fellow human beings. It was just
an Indirect Be Good Do Good Philosophy.

Now
the Most emotional part of the program:

After this we
were asked to close our eyes and sit and Sadhguru in his deep voice asked us to
look within ourselves and see if 1st we had the ability to be a parent for 10
children, 100 children, 1000 children, and 10,000 children and then the whole
world. His voice in A AA, AAA, AAAA, AAAAAAA, boomed and he again forced his
un-limited responsibility talk on the participants. This was done so that
humans who had become almost akin to animals in the present age would have some
softness of heart and feel tears. I did not but I got Sadhguru’s message
intellectually.

Then Sadhguru
in a video told some story about King Akbar and Birbal, Japa initiations and what its
significance was and then asked us to close our eyes. We did and some drum
playing carnatic vocal music sounded in the speakers and after sometime we
slowly opened our eyes. After this we were asked to share the experience of the
Initiation & the Buddha making and each one came and spoke that he would be
a parent to the whole world which I felt was nothing as compared to the hype
made a day ago by the teacher. We were further given information about the
Higher Isha Yoga Programs especially the Bhava Spandana program[BSP] for which many
people came on stage and vouched for their experience. We all were then asked
to register for the Bhava Spandana. I did not as I already had other 2 month
engagements.

I quote; "On the last day the BSP Program is hyped to such an extent and then the red carpet trap is laid. Victims resistance has been broken during 7 days of Inner Engineering". "So kindly be aware as it is an eye-wash. None will tell you as to what actually goes on in BSP." Read about this in my Life After Isha Yoga-2.

Then we were
served raw vegetable food, poyas, and fruit salad for lunch, after Initiation
was over. After this the sequence of the entire Kriya of Shambhavi was given to
us and a group photograph taken. Nobody is allowed to
write anything during the class.

The Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya involves simple yogic asanas and breathing techniques which have to be done for
25 mts each day twice for the 1st 40 days and at least once a day for the rest
of one’s life so that complete Buddha Hood becomes a reality. To download the full details of the Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya please visit This Link & ThisThen, we were
shown some videos, of Isha Foundation’s, social out reach programs, for the poor
and rural people, of Tamil Nadu state, massive tree planting exercise and the
Dhyanalingam yogic temple designed and built by Sadhguru. A request for
donation was made and some membership forms were given to the participants. I
did not give any donation. Then sale of spiritual goods of Isha Foundation namely Sadhguru's DVD, Books and
Rudrakshas costing Rs 1,000/- to Rs 1,500/- was offered.

The last 2 days
only involved in fine tuning the kriya and checking for mistakes and Sadhguru
kept repeating his un-limited responsibility talk. So this was it.

My Experience
and Benefits, after doing the Kriya, for the Past 4 years. In all I may have
skipped it 10 times.

The Kriya
started working for me only after 2 full years of practice. But apart from
making the flow of energy in my body even the Kriya by itself did not do
anything dramatic in terms of all around bliss, less fatigue, more inner peace,
as all these had been achieved simply by reading ISKCON Founder Acharya Swami
Prabhupada's Bhagavad-Gita “As It Is" and making my own life simply hassle
free, in terms of less desire for money, ample time for myself, no marriage,
children and relationships and no evil habits and cultivating the Philosophy of
"Simple Living & High Thinking and Escapism from Life & considering the Human Form of Life Itself As A Problem ".

However after
reading Sadhguru’s Book Encounter the Enlightened and seeing his videos I
became less reactionary to things and began to take things as it is. In the
past I was very much irritated if any form of wastage happened in front of me
like leaking water taps, food wastage, now I definitely care less.

But the idea of
helping downtrodden rural people [I.E Animals who appeared with 2 hands/legs in the shape, form, Voice of Human
Beings, but the creator forgot to give them a Bear Body, A Lion Head, 2 Rhinoceros
Horns, and a Cheetah Tail] appealed to me. I had a chance to put the
teaching in practice. For the past 10 years I was seeing a poor young man of my
age working over 16 hrs a day earning Rs 4000/-pm in a hotel where I was eating
and this man wanted some money to build a house in a remotest part of the
village and hence I offered him complete charitable financial help and his
house was built. Instead of donating money to Large Institutional charities it
is better to directly help poor people where one has the satisfaction of at
least knowing that money has been well spent.

So for Rs 1500/-
for 7 days it was a good experience I felt. However the dangers of getting
caught up in a cult were very much there. The teacher and a full time volunteer
[An MCA whose entire family had been Mesmerized by Sadhguru, I clearly felt].
For those interested in the Inner Engineering Program before registering and
spending your money, please practice 3 Asanas 1] Cat stretch, 2] Patanga
Asana-Butterfly Flapping of Legs 3] Shishupala Asana-Rocking The Baby for at
least one month and practice sitting on the floor for 3 hours daily or else you
will not be able to complete the program. The Asanas can be learnt from the
Yoga Book of The Vivekananda Kendra Pratishthan, Chennai, India as shown

which has sold over 10
lakhs[1 Million] copies and is available, in any Ramakrishna Mission Book Shop, for Rs 45/- or can be purchased online at Vivekananda Kendra ; or from Ramakrishna Math Online Book Store. Click Here !

Now after 4 years,
I realize, that the Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya and the entire 7 days class contents, could simply have been printed in the form of a book/dvd and offered to
the whole world at a much cheaper price with so much saving of people's time/energy/money/logistics. In fact, the kriya does not even need any initiation for it to work. The initiation part is just an over hype created to show people as if some rocket science is being offered in order for Isha to
make Money.

The Program is
worth only for Rs 1,000/- to Rs 1,500/- in India or maximum $ 100 in the USA and not more for 7
days.

Please
do not take the program conducted by Sadhguru himself which is taught in 3 days
because you will not be able to learn the Kriyas properly. Also the donation of
over Rs 1500/- is not worth it. The online introductory for $ 289 is a complete waste of money as you would not be able to learn the kriya properly/completely.

Also before
venturing for Isha Yoga please do your home work in terms of basic knowledge
about Hinduism by reading the Book “All About Hinduism” written by Swami
Sivananda downloadable free from If possible read all the books written by Swami Sivananda downloadable free from DLSHQ ! Isha
Yoga even though being branded and advertised as Non-Religious and Scientific
Yoga Practice is just a 7 Chakra Shakti Yoga System based on the Hindu Demigod Shiva
and Shakti Devi [Energy]. The Philosophy has been given in the book “All About
Hinduism".

And if possible please read ISKCON Founder Acharya: His Divine Grace Srila A C Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada's Bhagavad-Gita “As It Is" or Click Here For Small Size PDF ! After
reading the above book. All your questions on Life, Creation, Creator,
suffering will be answered and you will be more matured and enlightened and
even save yourself much damage before venturing for Isha Yoga.

Warnings:

Do not offer to volunteer or bring new people to the program as they would ask you to fill a
closure sheet on the last day of the program. Please remember that Isha is a Cultand not, any run of the mill, Yoga class,teaching simple yogic postures & breathing techniques. It is simply a take over of one's mind, thinking, intelligence, and body in
order for one to Surrender Their Egos/Individuality and oneself to Sadhguru who’s
Acts recently have been anything but holy. Refer Guruphliac Forum

If you are
requested to act as a volunteer for future programs then please decline as it
will completely ruin your family and professional lifeand also drain you
financially and physically. The main purpose of Isha and Sadhguru are to break
one's family and make them full time teachers, monks and volunteers at the Ashram and
a Slave so that Sadhguru can lead a King's Life for himself and Build His Own
Empire.

The Moto of Isha is that "If one has come to Isha he/she has come here as a last
resort when all else has failed for them and he/she can freely part with his Cash
and Labour for the Cult." And remember that Volunteering for Sadhguru's programs is a paid activity. One has to pay money for his/her own labour.

Also please do
not send your teenage
daughters or sons to do the program. Parents need to understand that
Sadhguru preys upon their children. He will seduce them. He will ever-so-subtly convince them that the
only way for them to continue and progress is to surrender to Isha and to
him. And he will encourage them to come
and leave it all behind. Everything AND,
he may likely seduce them physically. He
will tell them that it is "necessary to lock their chakras." And they will believe him and they will let
him.

Now this
warning is not just for parents, but also for spouses who are not Isha-involved
married to those becoming involved. He
will eventually remove your spouse from the relationship and tell them it is
for the benefit of both of you. Again, your spouse will believe him, because as
you deal with the shock of their growing distant, you will be confused, upset,
angry, despondent, and you may place very strong demands upon them for an
explanation for their choice of actions, and they, in their Isha-induced false
bliss will say to themselves that it's a good thing you are parting ways,
because "you just don't or can't get it." Your spouse will feel justified...by the
confusion, the sadness, the utter turmoil that their decision has caused,
because they will feel above it all. And
he, the Sadhguru, will support them in that delusion.

He will remove
choice from their lives. He tells you to
be Silent, you will be silent until he tells you, and you may speak again.
Readers may not realize as what extent to which he uses this tool called
"Silence" to keep people in line at the ashram? It's pathetic, because people buy into the
punishment thinking they've been rewarded by the Sadhguru with a blessing. How
wrong they are. They are just being controlled and manipulated in the worse way
they think it's a gift. Now THAT is mind control!

Just take
advantage of the basic program and then leave never to return again. If you
feel you have to do higher programs then please do it in order given below,
even though everyone would be asking you to do Bhava Spandana even before 40
days of the Shambhavi to start yielding results! However please do not surrender your mind,
intelligence and rational thinking to Sadhguru and accept everything that
he/his teachers say. Always remember Isha is only one of the ways and not the
only way and whatever is being taught in Isha has been written in any number of yoga books over 80 years ago by true saints like H H Swami Sivananda !

1-Inner
Engineering

2-Hata Yoga
[Usually this is conducted in Winter outside the Ashram ] or at the Ashram and
again this is very strenuous for 3 days and without any body loosening can land
you with very high fever.

4-Bhava
Spandana [This is purely a body breaking and emotional breakdown with intense
physical activity for 3 days after which there is a chance you may become
mesmerized] and your respect for Sadhguru might be over after this. This landed me in hospital or 15 days.

5-Samyama [8
days Silence] I have not done this till date.

For some people
The Kriya has backfired seriously and not worked. For More problems with Isha
Yoga Read my blog post Isha Yoga problems after effects warnings in April 2011 of this blog post.This post is continued under April 2011 as Life after Isha Yoga 2

If I was mesmerized & insaned by ACBSP, why would I visit, India to learn Yoga & Vedanta from Sivananda Ashram and Kriya Yoga from Isha. Why would, I have read, a book of Ramakrishna Math which is totally against ACBSP's teachings.

Wouldn't I have stuck to ACBSP and his books for ever?

And why would I write in my blog post of 2008 & reply posted in 2010 post in request for spiritual name that because of certain defects in ACBSP's teachings, they were made up by SJV's teachings.

It is people like SJV only who are talking about destroying the individuality of people, to make them into universal/unbounded and their zombies.

People like myself always believe in retaining their own individuality/originality and still pursuing the spiritual path from different sources. This is what Gnana Yoga is. Slicing everything with a razor sharp intelligence and seeing as it is. That is the main difference between Advaitha/Yoga and Vaishnavism!

I should admit that I am not dedicated as you are. You and me have something in common, that is our belief in retaining our individuality. I am not part of flock of sheep anywhere. I am much more of a rational person, wanting to have some logical and analytical reasons and personal hands-on experience.

I learnt my yoga from Yoga Studios in two different cities in USA and from a close friend of mine, who can be called as my initiator guru. This close friend also taught/ talked to me about Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedanta. He talked about everything under the umbrella of Hindu religion. While the Yoga studio in one city who followed Yogananda style) taught me excellent asanas and pranayama, I am not happy about the other city yoga studio who follows Iyengar yoga. I also read plenty of books on yoga published by Bihar School of Yoga and watched several You Tube videos and attempted learning yoga on my own. All these yoga were effective on me both physically and mentally to some extent but not great. I always felt that I was missing some thing and was not satisfied. I was not knowing what was missing. I attended Inner Engineering Program conducted by Sadhguru some time ago. In my personal experience, I have sensed that he definitely has higher aura around him, which yoga people call as Vijnanamaya kosha and Anandamaya kosha. He was able to transmit positive vibes/ energy, whenever he entered the hall. He was not there in between and some teacher took sessions, but those sessions were dull. She was not able to transmit that kind of energy equivalent to what SJV was transmitting. Whenever he entered the hall, I had noticed that the whole atmosphere brightened up.

I had visited and have been visiting Vedanta gurus for serving them physically, car driving for them around, cooking food for them, taking care of their medical needs, getting their clothes washed etc etc (thanks to my Guru friend, who is providing me with plenty of opportunities to serve them) and I had/ have not sensed that kind of aura anywhere till now. I have done enough vedanta practice by chanting Bhagawad Gita and various suktams, apart from Rudram Chamakam.

Inner Engineering program/ Shambhavi Mahamudra learnt under the guidance of Sadhguru is providing me great benefits than Vedanta for me. I place the importance in the order of Madha Pitha Guru Theivam (Mother, Father, Guru and God)for worshiping and getting blessings. For me, Guru is more important than God. My Guru, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, has definitely blessed me and I can sense his blessings all the time. I have better physical health now than the past. I am not after money and I can say that I am not suffering from poverty. I should also say that I am not suffering from spiritual ignorance.

In order to be part of the society, one has to be flexible. He cannot claim to have a strong independent individuality or ego. Gnana Yoga practitioners are mostly sanyasi/ Guru/ Spiritual leaders and they serve/ guide others with their knowledge. By that standard, SJV is following Gnana Yoga. He spreads his spiritual knowledge to others.

If you are trying to become a sanyasi, you can not have your own individuality or ego. You have to destroy your 'individuality'/ ego in order to guide or serve the society. I am not sure what you tried to do. I am clear that I am not a sanyasi and not going to be one, unless my time comes. I find my pleasure in Karma Yoga by serving people with whatever I can. I can do Karma Yoga at my leisure and time. I can have my individuality style in home and office, whenever I don't practice Karma Yoga.

ACBSP always criticized Buddhism but that was in 1960s. Today the nonsense is caused by Christianity so if ACBSP was alive today he will criticize the conversion that is happening in India. So start opening your mind. Go after all the false prophets, fake pastors and pseudo secularists like the congress party workers. Stop your hatred. It has a lot of bad intention and that definitely weaves a complex web of bad karma for your future births.

You want to be individual. But in Hinduism there is a concept called sathsang. All acharaya’s will say do sathsang once in a month. Because the power is people with different mind set work on a common goal is achieved here. Here you will learn and teach. It will bring in more good quality with in us . I read you have helped some one to build a house. Its great I really appreciate thatBut all institution want to do it to a group of under privileged people in village or even in small town. And this can be achieved by collective effort. I don't blame you but a collective effort will be better . What these institutions do they lay the foundation and ask other's to join and strengthen it. I also understand you are not staying in India. So you don’t understand the living condition of people in India. Can you start an organization and help a group of people. Its difficult to bring 10 people under one roof to serve the man kind. You have your third eye opened a few year’s back people like Sathguru Jaggi, Sai baba, Amrithamayee and … etc are working for people who face problems on day to day living. Let's stop the blame game and remove the ‘I’ and use the ‘WE’. This will improve the mankind. It is easy to say and hard to practice. But practice makes a man perfect.

Brother, i think u been in the shell of ur ego. Have ever given yourself 100% to the life situations around u. Is LOVE for all spilling out of your heart unconditionally? If the answer is yes, then your r growing. You r simply swimming in your EGO and trying to help others. Dear Brother,try to come out of your shell and see where your r able to merge yourself with life around you.

I read your article once again and you have outlined the sequence of SM and detailed each of the steps somewhere. Your learning of SM was incorrect and it took 2 yrs for you to see the result. I was initiated by Sadhguru who groomed me, like a baby being trained by his mother. I was able to see the result right from day one. Very first sign was visible health improvment. Then slowly better sensations all around, inner peace, mental clarity, success in whatever I did by 10 times (1000%).

One of the assurances, or vow, we give during the learning is that we will not publish or teach others this, about this process, in order to maintain its sacredness. You broke that assurance/ vow and I don't know what consequences you are suffering now. I really feel pity on you. Best is to fall at the legs of Guru and seek apology.

What is wrong in being a Buddhist. It is better than getting lured to Christianity or the violent Islam.Go and track about Pastor Anil who is close to Former Andhra CM YSR's family. See the way they are ripping off Andhra Pradesh. Also check out how Benny Hinn is cheating many innocent people. There is a CBC and HBO documentary about the frauds of Benny Hinn. I hope you are not a fanatical evangelical disguising as a Hare Krishna.Like the way Illuminati infiltrated into ISKCON and poisoned Prabhupada and tarnished the name of ISKCON which lead to many law suites against ISKCON. You guys are on the same way trying to create an environment against Isha. But this a very bad Karma and you will end up with the wrath of Shiva.You anyways don't have unconditional love towards Krishna and his disciples. So even Krishna will not come to save you. I hope you atleast believe in your Jesus Christ. Let some sense prevail.

In mystic's musings book, SJV has stated, that he has no lineage and hence no pedigree, so it takes much longer time for people to accept him as a Guru. He even stated in MM that Krishna's Bhagavad Gita is wrong but his inner experience is more clearer. Now suddenly he has forgotten what he spoke earlier and is now identifying himself with Agasthya Muni.

So it is SJV himself who is a liar and contradictor who will twist and turn according to time place circumstances and justify whatever it takes to sell his spiritual stuff.

SJV is not the correct Guru to learn about Krishna's teachings as he is envious of Krishna and even the Bhagavad Gita!

Good God colonel....are you really spiritual??? I read your blog before going for Samyama and was quite wary of the program. Once there I realised that you have not presented facts properly at all. That could be because you attended the program as a silent critic. On the contrary, I came out very impressed and satisfied.Why are you so proud about your skills in Sanskrit and the Vedas etc. as a seeker you must understand that your ego needs to be hammered down greatly. Also, your claim that wealthy people come to attend those program's is incorre

Ct. I am neither wealthy, nor do I have any money to donate other than to pay the very nominal course fee. Samyama by the way was free. BSP was around 2500 for a residential program of 4 days with very good meals. Most people I know who go are like me. We are neither active insatsangs nor in volunteering or singing SJV's praises. So I really do not see how he benefits from us

Half baked knowledge is dangerous colonel, ESP more so if you have made it a mission to malign someone. Pick one sentence from here, one snippet from somewhere else, distort them with the intent of bias and there..voila!!! You have successfully managed to brainwash people. But the bad news is that if they have sense they will be wary of your path too. Sad for ISKON, that they have some1 like u bringing them awful PR!!

I'm sorry, I have been in Isha for 9 years, and I am in no way crazy, or a follower of any kind of cult. Isha is not a religion, not a cult. Maybe if you gave yourself to the programs and stopped analyzing them, you could see a difference.

I recently meet a person who is with Isha for 14 years and he was all praise about Sadhguru. I meet another elderly women who knows Sadhguru for about 20 years and she was all Praise for Sadhguru. If you were expecting returns for your volunteering work you shouldn't have ever volunteered in the first place. Nobody forces you to give up your life. Please tell me why Krishna didn't stop the war and the 1000s of lives lost in kurukshetra?All the foot soldiers lost life in Kurukshetra to make Pandavas rule. Even if Duryodhana ruled the kingdom wouldn't have been ruined. For a common man does it make any difference whether Yudhishtra ruled or Duryodhana ruled?We live in very different times. Quoting extensively from Bhagavad gita doesn't help in anyway. You read it again and again like people read Bible. What is the use of reading?Does it give you the bhakthi bhava?Krishna could have taken the Pandavas west to Europe or Americas and created a new empire. Or they could have gone east or north to China. What is the purpose of major war?If you were a foot soldier with the kind of mind you have now you would have created a big blog against Krishna.What is the problem with Buddhism. I don't know why Swami Prabhupada hated buddhists more than Christians or Moslems.I agree it doesn't make sense to have a deity of Buddha and worship him. But just because somebody talks good about Buddha doesn't mean krishna devotee should spread hatred.

To all the evangelicals posting with fake IDs in this blog. Please stop destroying dharmic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.Four of the North Eastern states are already fully converted to Christianity. Now they want independence.Everybody knows that Christians in India need Isha yoga to be destroyed to keep the expansion of Christianity. Why would a Krishna devotee engage in hatred and that too Hatred against a Shiva Devotee?Didn't krishna himself do Shiva Pooja everyday?This is really the job of evangelicals.I hope all the religious conversions stops. And also hatred against Yogis must stop. Spread the word of Isha and get everybody enlightened soon.

First of all, I would like to thank Colonel Zaysen as I had also experience all this at Isha centre. One more thing before going to any spiritual teaching / course always ask following questions.How many people have practise the method and how long?How many of them became Enlightened?

I have heard/read that many people are practising above Isha methods for very long (many years) and surprisingly no one is Enlightened yet? Come on guys we are living in a most advance scientific world today so never believe any thing and always ask for statistics / proofs and remember anyone who gives beliefs is your enemy.

My friend do you have attention deficit disorder? U must have been one of the dumb kids in school who understood nothing that was taught. SJV has always told that one should not believe blindly instead have the humility to say that u do not know. If enlightenment was that simple, the sages of yore would not have spent lifetimes pursuing it. In today's world we want everything like fast food. Relax my friend, if you cannot trust your guru, u will lose the game before you begin. And stop using others as a bench mark. Everyone is different with differ karmic structures. Tred ur own path. BTW, there are a few enlightened swamis already in the ashram, incise u did not know but they do not one to the fore because their guru is still alive.

I am afraid this 'telling' method is quite incorrect factually and reeks of bias? Do not depend upon blogs for authentic info. Any idiot can fabricate a story and post it. What if someone wrote a big blog on you with crap

You didn't mention as of what benefits you saw after 2 years of isha yoga practice. If they were life changing - may be they were worth. I have been on the spiritual journey for last 5 - 6 years but haven't seen anything thundering chnage yet.

The writer is unbiased...But he wants results immediately and close the account.....he needs to be patient....Spirituality is not a run of the mill concept...The guru of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Thotapuri had spent 40 years..Swami Ramakrishna could attain higher states in just 3 days . It is how desperate we are for attaining the highest form of bliss....Just doing a kriya just for the sake of doing it, will not take us anywhere. May be you might move a few steps in this life at max.One has to take the next life to continue where he has left off...The author has done it for 2 years ...Good...It might even take 20 years...with no results....But that success might still be just a day away....One must dedicate this life for seeing the ultimate....Else it will be like Steve Jobs coming to India in search of spirituality and then going back home as he could not find what he wanted...It is not freely available in the market.

GURU = Sanskript word. GU = Darkness & RU = Lighting. The one who guides the person from darkness to lighting is called a GURU. SADHGURU can show the path for the person but ultimately it is the person who has to walk all along the path. There is no carrying all the way...One has to be determined to travel this Road less travelled.....If you walk 2 years and expect to reach the destination then it is a mirage all the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!

Isha yoga is about inner engineering as there is outer engineering. Am I right ? Now how much time it takes to get a bulb a wire and a switch and have a light out of three if there is a electricity ? Either it's not science or it is. You guys decide it. How any of u knows what's karma and what r life times except u read it or heard. Is it in ur experience yet ? Then why ur saying the same lines which sadguru says. Bring out ur own experience only so we know

Hi I participated in the 3 day Inner Engineering program conducted by Sadhguru himself at Hyderabad. For 3 days I felt everything that was told was perfect , however now when I think about the program elements , some of the claims made by Sadhguru himself seem to be dramatic , cult like . In an answer to a question by an elderly person , sadhguru said that sine he had attended the program , he will not have re-birth & that he will be bereft of all sufferings if he believes him.

The writer is not on the spiritual path. He even takes pride in the fact that he did not subscribe to a newsletter that costs only Rupees 100 per year for 12 editions!!! Reflects the extent of immaturity. I have attend IE and they give you forms to subscribe to it. Not once do they "ask" you to subscribe to it like this idiot claims.

WOW !!! This blog at some level comes as no surprise to me....Have you noticed that at any point in human history, a man or an opportunity comes along that will benefit humanity or provide an option for freedom to people , someone from the west seems to have a problem... ?Nikola Tesla : came up with a system to provide electricity across the planet for free, JP Morgan said : that if can't profit from it , then he won't fund the research any further..!!OSHO Rajneesh : was a threat to the US Establishment , they poisoned the food at his ashram and put him behind bars , poisoned him and sent him, back to India to die...Jiddu Krishnamurti : Had many disgruntled individuals against him, bcoz they could not get what he used to be on about in his talks/lectures.I don't think i need to mention Prahupada, from ISKON, everyone knows that truth as well. Notice that this happen only to people who can actually make a difference to human consciousness... It is no surprise to me that the USA is currently trying to block out and ban yoga from America , as it is clear to the establishment that it could bring freedom and clarity into the lives of individuals ...this is a direct threat to the entire network of fast foods / Tv programming and the animalistic gratification based nature cultivated and maintained by the west...so as to keep people locked into the volleyball of survival and gratification....It has always been the strategy to assassinate the character of anyone/SJV/David Icke/Nikola Tesla , who could make a change to the current pathetic scenario being maintained by governments. In you're case I'm surprised at the amount of information you have collected....???!I have worked as a volunteer at the ashram too and i barely have 10 percent of the information you have about SJV and Isha foundation....It seems to me that you have been funded either by the Church / pope / Vatican or you are involved with the the US Govt and your entire agenda was to go the ashram and gather information..Anyway, you sir, seem to be pissed off about the fact that you thought you could buy enlightenment !! As regards to what you felt when you got to the ashram : that's you're own mental make up! i was depressed and almost suicidal when i got to SJV .... he spoke to me in his usual brutal way....but i did not take that as an insult at the level of my ego rather i took it as advise....and now I have immense clarity regarding my own life.....!!! So from my perspective , i think you are doing a wrong thing by cribbing about you're incompetence on the internet , not everyone is as incompetent as you....?The problem lies in lack of self awareness, that's all it is, you obviously have no idea as to how to be with your body , that's why you landed in hospital.....you do not have the wisdom to interpret what you have heard or read....your negative mindset interprets things the way it works for it....! Add to that your imagination .....and support of freedom of speech....and we have someone who thinks he is going to save others....!!! hahaha .If you want to save others , then go fight the companies that are poisoning our food without even informing us ? THAT you won't do... instead you will pick on the one person who has brought joy to the lives of many people, bcoz that's you're real threat....if you can't be happy then you'll deny others from being happy too....Are you open to the level of scrutiny that you have put SJV thru ? Do you have the courage ?And to me it is clear that his teachings are in harmony with nature...The words he uses are meant to upset you, so u can question you're/ones' ways , words are not his biggest tool , words he uses are aimed at making ones rusted brain have enough logic so as to just sit for practice...so he might contradict himself, big deal....the practice works and if you get disoriented, then just practice less....till you can handle yourself better...

YOU ARE ONE BIG USELESS EGOISTIC JERK!!! DONT THINK YOUR BULLSHIT WILL MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE WHATEVER YOU WRITE AND YOUR GOOD FOR NOTHING BLOG TO SHARE YOUR STUPID VIEWS AND NONSENSE ISNT WORTH A DAMN THING. SHAME ON YOUR SICK ASS TO MISLEAD PEOPLE.

this article is written with nothing but pride and ego. "my 3rd eye opened at 21" but yet he's attending yoga classes? this is nonsense; utter nonsense. Saying he became blissful from reading the gita. Ramakrishana even said what will reading the scriptures get you. He's obviously an iskcon follower and from some reason isckon is afraid of people taking any route other than bhatki. it is not a yogic procress any longer it is a religion. Sadhguru is no false guru. I do feel he does have a mission and that mission requires money. I do the kyria and was not initiated, it is still working for me-i may be an acception. I will not teach the kyria to anyone

I came to this blog, impressed with Sahdguru but noticed some inconsistencies about him. One inconsistency was his claim to bring back "classical yoga"--like a very basic yoga that is not one of those 'trademark' name yogas which I think is just "Hatha" yoga. So, I was wondering why Sahdguru called this "Hata" (left out the "h") and did he do this just to generate MYSTIQUE as to remove beginners (like myself) from realizing it was mostly Hatha yoga.

The other thing I noticed was the "Shambhavi Mahamudra" was something people had to GO to his place directly to learn. His followers would keep this 'secret' and not publish the 'how to' steps to do it. Like if this is an ancient practice and his 'aim' is to 'share' with the world then WHY is he HOARDING this technique and isolating it only to people who can AFFORD to go to his place and learn it. Is this really something one has to PAY HIM to learn directly from his school??? His followers were even on some other websites where the webmaster gave directions on how to do it and they put 'guilt trip' on webmaster for publishing it.

Although I like listening to his talks and am impressed by him, he's like the other 'commercial' gurus who build an empire from their 'way'. So, ya, I think getting MONEY is a big part of his 'deal'.

In my opinion, it's POOR people like me (poverty can leave one spiritually bereft you know) who are in MOST need of yoga teachings. I mean let's face it, that's where most of the MISERY is and needs to be alleviated. If not with money but by spiritual teachings to deal with it. Yet it's the people with MONEY that these 'commercial' gurus accommodate and teach.

I feel that if Sahdguru really wanted to GIVE where giving was most needed (yoga teachings to folks like me who can't afford this stuff), he would have video sections of HOW TO DO the stuff. I did not see any 'how to do' , step by step info from him. He is more of a CHARISMATIC who appeals to logic in his talks. It's impressive but seems to be done to 'reel you in' to teachings he withholds from teaching 'freely' so you PAY for them.

I'm wondering if I can learn some of the same things (at least as introduction) from an old Richard Hittleman book where you can learn it from the book. I think it was Hittleman who popularized yoga in the 60's or 70's and brought it to the masses.

Are there any videos or illustrations where people who can't afford to go to Sahdguru's place can learn the "Shambhavi Mahamudra". Thank you to the blog owner for sharing written directions. It would be great if you could do a 'Teach Yourself Illustrated Guide' for this.

very thanx for this article....isha means money..iam from coimbatore..they are charging around 14000 rs for 7 days program in isha coimbatore center..one day i called to the center number and enquired abt the programms..and finally they told me that i want to pay around 14000 for 1 week programms including food....i asked them why u charging this huge amount for 7 days..they answered me that ""sir this charge is for ur food,accomodation and practice""""......just think 7 days they r charging this huge amount..they want to charge a normal fee only..........many poor peoples r unable to attened this..i dont no why not the people taking any action against this.,

Haha.... Anony brother....this is mere 2000/- per day..... Have you ever visit any hill station with just 2K including food, accommodation under the nature & most important same will be with Inner engineering program & practice session..... what you want more than this dear ??? Get a life .....Sadhguruji is really great & IE program is best in class !!

Don't judge the Guru. This the first and foremost requirement to go beyond. You are not aware of any thing that Guru is able see and do. If ever you had some vision beyond physical then you wouldn't have need to write such things. Don't spread your experience. Let people experience themselves. And also those who are true seekers won't give importance to somebody else's experience.

Why that pop singer smitha roaming around and staring everyone (especially gents)Is she doing some nonsense business?????????I was having respect with Sadhguru and Isha Fountation.After seeing her attitude I was shocked. Really am upset.

Nice blog. Good reading. Specially like your steps for shambahvi kriya. We can't fit all the steps in 21 mins which Isha marketing. If i add all the time then it will go beyond 25-30 mins. Can Col Z confirm that time is correct?

What crap....I have practiced shambhavi.... I had beautiful and amazing experiences the very next day of initiation.....after bsp my chronic constipation went away..... I do not know how to tell you what is truth or not truth... I can tell u only my experience... Anu

I spent about ten days as Isha outside of Cambotre back in 2010 or 2011. My intention was to learn some yoga asanas and kriyas. It took me ten days to come to the same conclusions the the author of this blog came to. I too feel strongly that Sadguru is a bogus guru who's motivations lay in the exploitation of his followers. He is a toned down version of Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh. Same mayavadi word jugglery. Another example of the cheater and the cheated. May Lord Nityananda please save the meek and sincere hearted seekers.

Hi,Thank you for your effort and elaborate explanation. I truly think, you got a glimpse of the fullmoon, got a pic, tried different editing styles. Now looking at the moon from those pics, explaining us how it looks.

You explored the arena, but you never surrendered. You are a vessel filled with your own things, so you were not able to receive it properly.

I as a person who knows why and how the spiritual journey is difficult without a guru, i can tell you. A person who is trying to taste the water will never know its capability to satisfy the thirst. For that satisfaction, one needs to be thirsty.

I know one day you will feel the need, you will feel the drive and you will get there.

I was hungry, so the food tasted delicious to me. You were tasting it, so it felt average. thats it :-)With love and regards,Chaitanya

There are two types. 1. Organisations that are uncomfortable about his popularity and, 2. People who are convinced by the smear campaigns run by such organisations.

Although he only teaches non religious and ancient yogic methods, for inner awakening for anyone who is willing, apparently some powerful and well funded religious organisations feel insecure about his popularity.

Even though he does not ask people to believe in any god or believe in anything for that matter (including him), organisations that preach atheism are working against him too.

This is not to be confused with the individual followers of any religion or individuals who believe in atheism. The individuals are open to his work and even interested in it. That is perhaps the reason for the insecurity of these organisations. And of course, he always makes fun of dogmatic beliefs of all religions and prods people to seek on their own.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says his methods are based on yogic science which is of the inner nature of human beings that would work for anyone who practices them. Its got nothing to do with any dogma or religious beliefs. However these organisations consider him a threat for them because his work is spiritual in nature.

These organisations run smear campaigns. There is a general suspicion about anyone who has been successful in anything in India anyway. So people who believe the smear campaigns further promote them.

Every person's experience is unique as only you can feel it. If you are going to experience something with mind full of predefined stuff, it has to be prejudiced. So Mr. Blogger you are a victim of your own mind. Seek if you really to know, don't blame anybody for your prejudice.

Finally, a voice of reason!Every seeker's path is unique just as every star has its own orbit. It was my mistake for I accepted Sadhguru's methods, and then came across blogs like that of the "Colonel" and allowed it to poison my thinking.

@Blog Author: So by accepting Sadhguru's teachings, am I a zombie? No. I retain my thought processes my questions (which is part of my character....to question). My allowing other people's opinions to sway me, that was MY folly. I accept it and am over it.Sadhguru's techniques took a while to sink in and for my body to adjust. Now that it has, I have nothing but benefits to report.

If you refuse to give up your individuality when the time comes, I do no see how enlightenment can take place. You can't cross the metaphorical Abyss to the realms of the Supernals (Divine) with your ego and individuality intact. This is not something unique to what Sadhguru has said but something that has been echoed down through the annals of time, in all the Mystery Traditions.

As Amit has stated, "seek if you are ready to know, don't blame anybody for your prejudice."

I don't seek enlightenment. I am interested in pure science. Please don't use this jargons. I only know two things which is me. My body and my mind. Infact my mind is also a part of my body. So that's just me.so only 1 thing. The way I or anybody exists here. Are u telling me that we r something else then our bodies ? Do u or anyone has a proof of that ? Can u please prove whatever teachings you have received or u have realised in either sense please ?

i have attended 7 days program and it just got over within few days i could see changes in my mood and sleep , and it was such a peaceful experience , isha supports lots of saints ,and around 3000 people eat daily at the centre , do you think without money is this possible . he never said he will give enlightenment , how many people do you know who just by following budha or OSHO became enlightened , all these are GURUS , they can show by compassion the path but ultimately you have to walk on it, and if enlightenment cannot be attained just by blaming too , have you heard buddha calling anyone bad .

I believe in Christ consciousness and Christianity. I do not feel the message of Christ is in conflict with ISHA. I don't think ISHA is around to wipe out Christianity in India but then I am in TN. I am also a follower of Yogananda. The Inner Engineering course has made a tremendous difference in the quality of my life and it did this without my "selling out" only to SadGuru. No one tried to sell me anything or encourage me to take more classes or to volunteer during IE. I have also been to the Ananda Retreat Center and no one tried to sway me there either. A local church can become a cult center for some people I guess. I am no one's judge. Only God really knows. I am not fixed on any one person. If one can do that, IE could help lots of people from all religions.

Who the heck is this swami Aniruddha here ? And posting his profile ? BTW there r too many flaws in ur given example of SM Mr.Zaysen. I am not fond of Isha or any other bullshit anyone speaks or writes about. Even if the good tomorrow appears it doesn't matter to me unless it changes my life. That's a fact. Everything including this internet we r enjoying or using today none of the sages or gurus or God's has given us. It's all human work. And it works for everyone. Wether ur reach or poor or even an animal. Unless u can give any scientific evidence or ways. This whole blog is a waste of time for it's creator as well as me and others who wasted their time giving comments.

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Opinions expressed in this Blog are an expression of free speech and are protected as free speech. At no time is any content posted by the blog creator knowingly false. Comments & Opinions expressed in articles and files on this blog are those of the contributors. Events described in this blog are as accurate as memory and recollection permit. The experiences described in this blog is unique to the authors. You may have a more or less satisfying experience with the Organization.

The Posts on specific Organizations, have been published more as a warning of the dark side of any Cult than as a character assassination or mud slinging campaign, on the Founder of the Cult, so that, those deciding to involve themselves with the Cult and it's Leader can make an informed decision knowing both the Pro's & Con's.

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Sri Sri Radha Shyam Sundar Deities

Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Temple ISKCON Vrindavana India

Pancha Tattvam-Sri Krishna Chaitanya & Associates

The Six Goswami's of Vrindavan

Srila Jaganatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Srila Gaura Kishore Dasa Babaji Maharaja

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasawati Thakura

His Divine Grace Srila A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

My 1st Siksha[Knowledge] & Only Diksha[Initiating] Guru

His Holiness Swami Sivananda

2nd Siksha and Elevating Guru

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Proven to be "A False Guru" to his Ex-Followers but for me acted as Ritvik-Representative of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada & Swami Sivananda

Sushree Braj Parikari Devijee

After Knowing Sadhguru as False Further Search LED to Her as she is JKM's Disciple & Preacher

Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaja

Sushri Braj Parikari Deviji Led me to Him & Followed his Teachings on Pure Radhakrishna Bhakti till his Disapperance From Earth in 2013 which is 100 % as that of His Divine Grace Srila A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Acharya Rajneesha/Osho

My Final Sanyasa Guru After which I came full Circle & All Further Searches Ended & the Perfect Blend of Philosophy Obtained from All the Above

About Me

I am a very simple type of person like His Divine Grace Gaura Kishore Dasa Babaji, A Staunch but Not a Fanatic Follower of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada His Holiness Swami Sivananda, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev & Acharya Rajneesha. My Philosophy is Simple Living and High Thinking !
Be Good Do Good! Save Cash and Save Labour In Life For Oneself as Well As For Others. Before doing/purchasing something think about the consequences of your actions on environment people animals plants and trees !
In Life Money 1st, Then Things, Then People !